Paul dvobkovitz



March 26, 1929, n voRKovlTz RETORTFOR TREATING CARBONACEOUS MATTER Filed June s, 192s uo b ,f o .rwl mw-MW Mfg BH1/5 N70/Mfrs Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,706,825 PATENT OFFICE.`

PAUL DVORKOVITZ, KENSINGTON, ENGLAND.

RETORT FOR TREATING CARBONACEOUS MATTER.

Application filed June 9, 1928, Serial No. 284,204, and in Great Britain March 8, 1927.

or other carbonaceous matter, according to Cil this process being contained in closed vertical or inclined, externally heated retorts to the upper ends of which preheated gases are ad initted from a preheater which is separate from the retort chamber', the said gases being for instance, hydrogen water gas, producer gas, or ordinary coal gas, the temperature of the said gases being controlled so that the heat produced in the retort-s is `such as will liberate from the charge in the said re'torts only, or mainly, the desired light oils of the paraffin series, the heat required for this purpose being not higher than about degrees centigrade and not lower than about 280 degrees centigrade.

lnvk apparatus of the aforesaid kind the light oils produced will pass downwards in the retorts and then pass out by an outlet at, or towards, the bottom thereof, leaving a residue in the said retorts consisting of, or comprising, denser constituents and carbon, and this invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus wherein the said residue is subjected to treatment by preheated neutral gas and,-if desired, superheated steam may be used in conjunction with the neutral gas, whereby heavy oils (that is oils heavier than thev before-mentioned light oils) are obtained therefrom in an efficient and economical manner.

According to this invention the apparatus comprises a retort of the kind hereinbefore referred to which is mounted upon a similar retort, valvular means being provided, whereby the said retorts can, when desired, be put into communication, so that the residue in the upper retort can pass into the lower retort for further treatment. There is thus provided a plurality of vertical retorts superposed one above the other. Valves controlling communication between the rctorts are likewise provided.

Means are also provided whereby each of the retorts isexternally heated and whereby preheated carrier gas is admitted thereto, and

this may be effected for instance in the same manner as described in Patent No. 1,627,321 granted to me on May 3, 1927, in which there is disclosed an apparatus wherein gas for introduction into the retorts is preheated a heater which is separate from the retort chamber. Of course other known or venicnt means may be employed. l

From the above it will be seen that there are provided separate lretort chambers in which each of retorts is set.

lVhen a charge of carbonaceous material contained in the upper retort has become subjected to treatment and the required light oils obtained therefrom, the valve or valves controlling communication between the retorts is, or are, operated so that the residue in the said upper retort passes into the retort beneath it where it is subjected to a higher temperature in accordance with the products to be obtained therefrom, such, Vfor instance, as the heavier oils of the paraffin series.

The upper retort, and also if desir-ed the lower retort may be provided with means whereby the contents, during treatment, or at intervals during treatment, can be subjected to mechanical agitation, or loosening-up, in such manner that the said contents are very efiiciently subjected to the heat applied to the retort, or retorts, and the process thereby eX- pedited and generally rendered more complete and efficient.

The vapours pass from the retorts to a vseries of condensers (not shown) from which the products of condensation can be removed separately, as desired in well known manner.

The accompanying drawing shows in sectional elevation an apparatus provided with upper and lower chambers within each of which is a retort, the upper retort being superimposed on the lower retort in accordance with this invention. In the drawing one of the retorts is shewn partly in section and provided, by way of example, with mechanical means for agitating, or stirring, or loosening-up, the coal or other carbonaceous matter, under treat-ment, contained in the said retort.

Referring tothe drawing A and A1L are two retort chambers arranged `side-by-side and having vertical retorts ll and B1 set therein which are superimposed on vertical retorts C and C1 set in retort chambers l) and D1 beneath the retort chambers A and A1 respectively. Each of the retort chaini bers is heated by the hot products of combustion derived from the furnace E situated at one side of the retort chamber D1, the said hot products passing from the upper part of the said furnace through passages e formed in the walls of the furnace and the retort chambers and enter the respective chambers from the exterior of the walls whereby the Y external heating of the respective retorts is controlled. Each retort B and B1. is prof vided at top with a charging hopper F arranged at one side thereof and at theA bottom with a valve c which controls communication between it and the lower retorts C and C1 respectively, whichis provided at bottom with discharging means cl. Each of the hoppers l? is provided with duplex valves f and f1 which will permit of charging without puttingl the insides of the retoi s B and B1 into communi a tion with the outer air.

llithin each of the retorts B and B1 is a rotatablescrew, or conveyorG onto the upper part of which the coal, or other carbonaceous matter, to be treated is fed from the charging hopper l?. This. screw, or conveyor G, besides feeding thecharge ofv coal,

or other carbonaceous matter, downwards,

acts to feed the saidcharge towards the wall of the retorts Band B1 whereby the heat of the said wall is more efliciently utilized, and the' said screwl also agitates, stirs, orvloosensup thecharge undertreatment to allow the better'r penetration of the heat in the retort chambersA and A1 derived from the products of combustion in the furnace VE and from the heating agent (such for example as hydrogen, or water-gas,or producer-gas, or ordinary coal-gas). admitted at thetopofthe said retort. i A

The screws, or conveyors-,G maybe mounted withinv the retortsin any'convenient. manner andbeprovided withany suitable means for rotating them; This is shown as being effected asfollowsz-rl`he lower end of the Yshaft ot eac'h'screw, or conveyor G, is rotatably mounted on the=spider g secured to the CII interior of the retort and the ugper end of the said shaft is rotatably mounted in bearings on thetop cover Z)- of the retort and has secinedthereto a worm wheel 1 for engagement by a worm secured to a driving'- shaft (not shown) to which rotary. motionmay be transmitted from any suitable source.

The upper partv of the retorts By and B1 projects above the roof of the retort chambers and this projecting part isenclosed by brickworh which constitutes a support for the said retorts.

The heating agent (whiehl refer to as the gases). to be admitted at the top of each of the retorts is lcd, from any suitable source of supply, through a pipe lil to a preheater H1 consisting of a number ofcoils,.convolutions,v

or the equivalent, of tubing situated in a chamber-l in:communication withA the furnace E. rllhe gases enter the preheater H1 at the lower part thereof and, afterlcirculating through the said preheater are-led by a pipe it at the top of the said preheater through suitably arranged branch pipes al controlled by valves (not shown) to thev top of the interiorof each of the said retorts.

The gases admitted into the retorts B and B1 in conjunction' with the external heating of the said retorts by the products of combustion from the furnace E produce the required temperature necessary to liberate from the charge the vapours of the required liglitI oilsrwhich will passdownwards and, ow-ingI to the said retorts being heated by gases which are hottest at thel upper ends of the said retorts and owing also to the eurrents of gases and vapours inside the retorts being constantly iowing in a downward direction, which is` facilitated by the stirring, or lloosening-up of the charge by the mechanicaly agitator Gv, the said vapours of the light oils will, as soon asthey are formed, pass rapidly downwards without danger of becoming decomposed and will pass out from thefretortsby outlet pipes J from which they eventually passinto air condensers. v

When a charge of carbonaceous material contained inthe upper retorts B and B1 has been' subjected to treatment and the required light oils obtained therefrom, the valves c controlling communication between the said retorts and the lower retorts C and C1 are opened so that the residue in the said upper retorts passes into the saidl lower retorts where, after the valve 0 has again been closed, it is subjected'to a temperature in accordance withthe products to be obtained therefrom, such for instance, asthe heavier oils ofthe paratiin series.

If desired the lower retorts C and C1 may be provided with means whereby the contents,duringtreatment, or at intervals during treatment, can be subjected to mechanical agitation, stirring, or loosening-up, and this may be eflectediby providing each of the said retorts with a screw, or conveyor, such as Gr shown in the upper retort B.

The gases admitted into the lower retorts C and: C1 in conjunction with the external heating of the said retorts produce the required higher temperature necessary to liberateV from the charge delivered thereinto from the upper retorts B and B1 the required products tobe obtained therefrom such for instance as the vapours of the heavier oils of the para'liin series which will pass downwards andioutfrom the saidretorts by outlet pipes K from which they eventually pass to air eendensers in a similar manner to that described witlrregard to the'vapoursof the light oils of'. the paratiin series.l

l. Apparatusof the type described comprising two superposed vert-ical retorting chambers, the upper chamber at the bottom thereof.communicatingdirectly with the lowerchamber at the top thereof so aste allow discharge of soli-dy material from the upper chamber into the lower chamber, a valve for controlling` the corrlmunication between said chambers, means for introducing a gas into the upper chamber at the top thereof, an inlet for solid material in the upper part of the upper chamber and an outlet for solid material at the lower part of the lower chamber,

- means for heating said chambers, mechanical agitating means disposed in. the upper chamber and a gas outlet for each of the said chambers at the lower part thereof.

2. Apparatus of the type described comprising two superposed vertical retorting chambers, the upper chamber at the bottom thereof communicating directly with the lower chamber at the top thereof so as to allow discharge ot' solid material from the 11pper chamber mto the lower chamber, a valve for controlling the communication between, said chambers, means for introducing a gas into each of said chambers at the top thereof,

an inlet for solid material in the upper part of the upper chamber and an outlet for solid material at the lower part of the lower chamber, means for externally heating said chambers, mechanical agitatiiig means disposed in the upper chamber and a gas Outlet for each of said chambers at the lower part thereof.

In testimony whereof I have si gne'd my name to this specification.

PAUL DVORKOVITZ. 

